Zimbabwe vs Australia Prediction & Match Preview – 2nd ODI, Harare
Match summary
Australia won by 84 runs: Zimbabwe 272 (48.3 ov), Australia 356/6 (50 ov). Player of the match: Travis Head.
Preview of Zimbabwe vs Australia in the 2nd ODI at Harare Sports Club on 18 September 2026: how the opener went, likely XIs, pitch and expected scores.
Match details
| Match | Zimbabwe vs Australia, 2nd ODI |
|---|---|
| Series | Australia tour of Zimbabwe 2026 |
| Date | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Start time | 7:30 am GMT / 9:30 am local |
| Venue | Harare Sports Club, Harare |
| Status | Result |
| Result | Australia won by 84 runs |
| Player of the match | Travis Head |
| Our pick | Australia ✓ |
| Toss pick | Australia |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Zimbabwe need to bounce back when they face Australia in the second ODI at Harare Sports Club on Friday 18 September. They trail the series 1-0 after a 59-run defeat in the opener, in which Australia scored 294 for 8 and Zimbabwe were dismissed for 235.
Craig Ervine made 59 off 60 balls and captain Sikandar Raza 57 off 76, but support was limited, with Brian Bennett making 25, Wessly Madhevere 22 and Brendan Taylor four. Twenty-year-old pacer Newman Nyamhuri took 5 for 62, the best figures of his young international career, and Brad Evans took two wickets.
For Australia, Matt Renshaw made 109 from 94 balls in his first ODI century, with Cooper Connolly adding 51 and Mitchell Marsh 36 off 28. Several batters failed to turn starts into big scores. Nathan Ellis took 5 for 31, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett also took wickets, and Renshaw, Adam Zampa and Connolly claimed one each.
Zimbabwe’s batters need to support their top performers, and the bowlers will want to build on Nyamhuri’s display. Our preview still favours Australia, with a total of 265–285 a competitive first-innings range.
Harare Sports Club usually gives the quicker bowlers some swing and seam early on, so the first ten overs can be demanding. The pitch improves for batting as the innings goes on, then can slow later, helping spinners and slower-ball bowlers. It is not an extremely high-scoring ODI ground. In the first match Australia made 294 for 8 and Zimbabwe 235, a useful benchmark.
Hazy sunshine is expected at the 9:30 am local start, with temperatures around 22–23°C. It should stay dry with very little chance of rain and a moderate breeze. No significant dew is expected in the morning.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 265–285 | 272 (48.3 ov) |
| Second innings | 235–250 | 356/6 (50 ov) |
Australia
Australia took the opener by 59 runs and have the stronger all-round side, so our preview picks them to take a 2-0 lead.
Toss pick: Australia
FAQ
What happened in the first Zimbabwe vs Australia ODI?
Australia made 294 for 8 and beat Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for 235, by 59 runs at Harare.
Who starred for Zimbabwe?
Craig Ervine made 59 from 60 balls, Sikandar Raza 57, and 20-year-old Newman Nyamhuri took 5 for 62.
Who was Australia’s best performer?
Matt Renshaw made a maiden ODI century of 109 from 94 balls and Nathan Ellis took a career-best 5 for 31.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Zimbabwe
- Brian Bennett
- Ben Curran
- Innocent Kaia
- Brendan Taylorwk
- Craig Ervine
- Sikandar Razac
- Wessly Madhevere
- Brad Evans
- Newman Nyamhuri
- Wellington Masakadza
- Blessing Muzarabani
Australia
- Mitchell Marshc
- Travis Head
- Cooper Connolly
- Josh Ingliswk
- Alex Carey
- Matt Renshaw
- Oliver Peake
- Xavier Bartlett
- Nathan Ellis
- Adam Zampa
- Spencer Johnson
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of Zimbabwe and Australia that we covered: Zimbabwe 0, Australia 1 wins.